Neither Ole Miss nor Mississippi State ended January on good terms. The Rebels (14-6, 4-3 SEC) wheezed into February on a three-game losing streak with four losses in five games to undercut their 3-0 start in league play. And the Bulldogs, despite being ranked in the Top 25, have lost two out of three, still have a losing record in SEC play (3-4, 15-5 overall) and might've lost a key piece in their starting lineup when Nick Weatherspoon went down with an injury versus Alabama.

There'll never be a day where a game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State doesn't matter. But, as the SEC likes to boast, this game might mean more. More than usual, at least.

For Ole Miss, something needs to be done to stop the losing ways if the Rebels want to keep their postseason hopes alive. After winning 10 in a row and surging into the Top 25 less than three weeks ago, the Rebels have slid with four losses in five games since they last played Mississippi State.

It's not as if Ole Miss has lost to bad teams. The four teams to have beaten Ole Miss over this stretch rank No. 14, No. 16, No. 39 and No. 43 in the country in the NCAA's NET Rankings. And the loss versus Florida came in overtime after Florida senior guard KeVaughn Allen made a 25-foot 3-pointer to tie the game at the end of regulation.

These aren't excuses. They're just numbers. And they're the reason Davis doesn't seem too anxious about the losing streak.

"The quality of opponent is pretty good," Davis said. "So we're not panicking at all. We've just got to keep doing what we're doing. There's a lot of basketball left."

The next opponent on the schedule is a familiar one. Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State 81-77 in Starkville on Jan. 12, the second of the Rebels' two ranked conference wins this season. Ole Miss senior guard Terence Davis said he doesn't see much of an advantage or disadvantage to playing a team twice in such a short period, simply adding that Ole Miss knows it has to limit live-ball turnovers to stay competitive against Mississippi State's speed and length.

But to Kermit Davis, there is one built-in advantage to familiarity.

"Obviously, No. 1, it's a little easier preparation for both schools because people are going to stay true to form," the coach said. "People are maybe going to put a couple other little things in. But I think that the two games, especially rivalry games, are great that both fanbases get to have those games on their home floor."